Veronica plant named ‘Purple Leia’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of ornamental Spike Speedwell plant, Veronica spicata ‘Purple Leia’, with medium to tall height, stiff, upright, heavily-branched, dense spikes of rosy-purple flowers beginning in early summer and continuing for at least five weeks above deep green foliage. The new plant is useful in the landscape as a specimen, en masse, as a container plant or as a cut flower.

Botanical classification: Veronica spicata L.

Variety denomination: ‘Purple Leia’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(b)(6)

The first non-enabling disclosure of the claimed plant, in the form of aphotograph and brief description on a website operated by WaltersGardens, Inc. on Feb. 1, 2021 followed by the “Walters Gardens 2021-2022Catalog” with a brief description and photograph first distributed onMay 21, 2021. Prior to that the claimed plant was first sold on Jul. 12,2021 by Walters Gardens, Inc., who obtained the plant and allinformation relating thereto, from the inventor. No plants of Veronica‘Purple Leia’ have been sold in this country or anywhere in the world,nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made, more than one yearprior to the filing date of this application, and such sale ordisclosure within one year was either derived directly or indirectlyfrom the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct cultivar of SpikeSpeedwell, botanically known as Veronica spicata ‘Purple Leia’, andhereinafter referred to as the cultivar ‘Purple Leia’ or the “newplant”. The new plant was crossed by the inventor on Jun. 27, 2016 inthe hybridizing greenhouses of a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland,Mich., USA. The female or seed parent was a proprietary unreleasedhybrid known only by the breeder code 13-33-5 (not patented) and themale or pollen parent was a proprietary unreleased hybrid known only bythe breeder code 13-32-10 (not patented).

The new plant was assigned the breeder code of 16-7-1. ‘Purple Leia’ hasbeen asexually propagated initially division and later by basal cuttingsand shoot tip tissue culture at the same nursery in the greenhouses inZeeland, Mich., since the summer of 2018 with subsequent asexuallypropagated plants found to be identical to the original selection withall the same traits as the original seedling.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Veronica ‘Purple Leia’ is unique from all other Spike Speedwell known tothe inventor. Several other cultivars may have some similar traits, butthis is the only variety known by the inventor to have the followingcharacteristic combinations that establish the new plant as unique:

-   -   1. Medium to tall habit with stiff, upright, spikes above dense        stems of deep green foliage.    -   2. Scapes with numerous, dense flowers of rosy-purple petals.    -   3. Heavily-branched peduncles begin blooming in early summer and        continue for at least five weeks into summer.

The closest comparison varieties known to the inventor are ‘Mona LisaSmile’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,477, ‘Purpleicious’ U.S. Plant Pat. No.17,639, ‘Hocus Pocus’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,853, ‘Blue Skywalker’ U.S.Plant Pat. No. 29,406, ‘Lavender Lightsaber’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 32,359,‘Purple Illusion’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,301 and ‘Purple Explosion’ U.S.Plant Pat. No. 24,757.

‘Mona Lisa Smile’ is smaller in habit and has a flower color that is astrong purplish-red. ‘Purpleicious’ has flowers that are lighterviolet-purple and the habit is smaller with peduncles less branched.‘Hocus Pocus’ has a smaller habit and size, and the flowers are adarker-purple. ‘Blue Skywalker’ has a similar habit and size, but theflowers are a lavender-blue. ‘Lavender Lightsaber’ has a similar habitand size, but the flower color is a soft lavender. ‘Purple Illusion’ hasa smaller habit with fewer flowers per stem. ‘Purple Explosion’ istaller in habit with less branching and fewer flowers per stem.

The female parent, 13-33-5, is shorter and the flower was a darker shadeof lavender purple. The male parent, 13-32-10, has lighter shade oflilac-lavender flowers with a taller habit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance andunique traits of ‘Purple Leia’ as a two-year-old plant grown in afull-sun display garden in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as accurate asreasonably possible with color reproductions. Variation in ambient lightspectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minorvariation in color.

FIG. 1 shows the habit of the new plant in full flower.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers and buds.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references of Veronica ‘PurpleLeia’ are based on the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural SocietyColour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. ‘PurpleLeia’ has not been observed under all possible environments. Thephenotype may vary slightly with different growing environments such astemperature, light, fertility, soil pH, moisture and maturity levels,but without any change in the genotype. The following observations andsize descriptions are based on two-year-old plants grown in a full-sundisplay garden of a nursery in Zeeland, Mich.

-   Botanical classification: Veronica spicata;-   Parentage: The female (seed parent) was 13-33-5; the male or pollen    parent was 13-32-10 a selection comprising ‘Purpleicious’, ‘Sweet    Lullaby U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,611 and ‘Lilac’ (not patented);-   Propagation: The plant roots from cuttings in about 2 weeks and    finishes to flowering in a 3.8-liter container in 8 to 10 weeks    following a vernalization period of about 8 weeks;-   Roots: Fibrous; heavily branching; color between RHS 164C and RHS    164D;-   Plant habit: Hardy herbaceous perennial; compact; with about 20    stems; main stems branching in distal portion; to about 70 cm tall    and clumping to about 55 cm wide; flowering beginning late spring in    Michigan and continuing for up to 5 weeks;-   Leaves: Simple; flat; lanceolate; opposite; margin ciliolate,    serrated with teeth 3.0 mm apart and 1.0 mm long; micro-puberulent    adaxial and glabrous between veins abaxial, lustrous adaxial and    matte abaxial; acute apex; distal leaves with attenuate base and    proximal leaves with rounded base; to about 11 cm long by 3 cm wide    near middle, average about 8 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, decreasing in    both length and width distally; about 16 leaves per stem;-   Leaf color: Mature adaxial nearest RHS NN137A, abaxial nearest RHS    138A; young expanding adaxial between RHS 145A and RHS 146D, abaxial    nearest RHS 144A;-   Veins: Pinnate, abaxial midrib costate; sparsely puberulent abaxial    midrib and glabrate to glabrous adaxial and abaxial veins;-   Vein color: Adaxial midrib and proximal lateral veins nearest RHS    146C; abaxial midrib nearest RHS 146D and lateral veins nearest RHS    137B;-   Petiole: Simple; concavo-convex; glabrous adaxial and abaxial;    margin micro-ciliolate; base slightly clasping; to about 12 mm long    and 5 mm wide at base, decreasing distally to an average about 6 mm    long and 3.5 mm wide;-   Petiole color: Adaxial nearest RHS 146B; abaxial sides nearest RHS    137C and midrib nearest RHS 146D;-   Stem: Cylindrical; puberulent; length about 45 cm before flowers,    diameter about 3.0 mm at base; color nearest RHS 146C;-   Internodes: 12 below flowers; average about 3.7 cm apart; node color    nearest RHS 138A;-   Inflorescence: Heavily branched; upright spikes in compressed    conglomerate; about 12 cm long and 4.5 cm wide with up to six    lateral branches per stem; with about 550 flowers per center stem,    to 330 flowers per branch and about 1400 per branched peduncle;-   Flower bud one to two days prior to opening: Convolute; oblong;    rounded base and apex; glabrous; about 4.0 mm long and 2.0 mm    diameter;-   Flower bud color one to two days prior to opening: Nearest RHS 77A    with calyxes nearest RHS 138A;-   Flowers: Zygomorphic, perfect, complete; about 6.0 mm wide, 6.0 mm    tall and about 8.0 mm long to exserted anthers; corolla about 6.0 mm    across and about 4.5 mm long; corolla tube fused in basal 2.0 mm and    1.7 mm diameter near base; flowers persist individually for 4 to 6    days whether on the plant or cut; petals self-cleaning, sepals and    style persistent; attitude outwardly;-   Flower fragrance: Not detectible;-   Flower timing: Late spring and continuing for about five weeks;-   Petals: Four; one slightly larger petal above, two on either side,    one slightly smaller below; rounded apices; entire; glabrous adaxial    and abaxial except basal 2.0 mm adaxial of fused tube with pubescent    tuft; fused in basal 2.0 mm; larger top and side petals about 4.5 mm    long by 6.0 mm wide, smaller lower petal about 6.0 mm long and 3.5    mm wide;-   Petal color: Abaxial and adaxial nearest RHS N81B with corolla tube    base nearest RHS NN155D; adaxial tuft of hairs nearest RHS NN155D;-   Androecium:    -   -   Filaments.—Two; divergent; glabrous; epipetalous about 1 mm            from base; about 8 mm long by 0.3 mm; color nearest RHS N82B            distally becoming white, RHS NN155D proximally.        -   Anther.—Dorsifixed, longitudinal; ellipsoidal; with acute            rounded becoming acute, base rounded; about 2.0 mm long and            1.0 mm wide; ventral color nearest RHS N77B and dorsal            nearest RHS N81B, nearest RHS 202A abaxial after pollen            dehiscence.        -   Pollen.—Abundant, globose, less than 0.1 mm; nearest RHS            18C.-   Gynoecium: One, superior; exserted; persists after petal drop;    -   -   Style.—Cylindrical; straight; attitude outwardly to slightly            drooping; about 6.0 mm long by 0.5 mm; color nearest RHS            N81B.        -   Stigma.—Globose; about 0.3 mm in diameter; color RHS 76B.        -   Ovary.—Globose to ellipsoid; about 1.2 mm long and 1.0 mm            across; color nearest RHS 146D.-   Calyx: Campanulate; 2.0 mm long and 2.5 mm diameter;-   Sepals: Four; lanceolate; adaxial dull, glabrous; abaxial    microscopically puberulent; acute apex; basal 1.5 mm fused forming    campanulate calyx; margin entire, micro-ciliolate; to about 2.5 mm    long and 1 mm wide;-   Sepal color: Adaxial nearest RHS 138A, abaxial nearest RHS 137A;-   Peduncle: About 20 per plant; raceme, strong, virgate, branched at    upper nodes; cylindrical; pubescent distally to glabrescent    proximally; flowering portion to about 24.5 cm long, about 20 cm    across with branches and central stem portion about 18 mm wide;-   Peduncle color: Nearest RHS 146C;-   Pedicel: Rigid; cylindrical; micro-puberulent; about 1.7 mm long and    0.5 mm wide, attitude semi-upright;-   Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 138B;-   Bract: One; subtending each flower; linear; narrowly acute apex;    entire; sessile attenuate base; glabrous adaxial and abaxial;    proximal bracts about 15.0 mm long and 22 mm wide and decreasing    distally to about 3.0 mm long and less than 1.0 mm wide;-   Bract color: Nearest RHS 139A adaxial and nearest RHS 137A abaxial;-   Fruit: Four-chambered, longitudinally-dehiscent capsule; ellipsoid    with rounded apex and base, about 2.5 mm long and 2.0 mm across;    color upon drying between RHS 199D and RHS 161C;-   Seed: Prolific; typically about 2 to 4 per capsule; slightly    flattened ellipsoidal; about 0.7 mm long and 0.5 mm across; color    variable, nearest both RHS N199B and RHS N199C;-   Growth: The new plant grows best with plenty of moisture and    adequate drainage but is able to tolerate some drought when mature.-   Hardiness: Hardiness at least from USDA zone 4 through 8.-   Disease and pest resistance: Disease and pest resistance and    susceptibility beyond what is typical of that of other Spike    Speedwell has not been observed.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental Spike Speedwellplant, Veronica spicata ‘Purple Leia’, as herein described andillustrated.